Device for forming braidlike decorations



May 21, 1929. J, A. 0ST

DEVICE FOR FORMING BRAID LIKE nEcoRA'rIdns Filed Nov. 15, 1927 INVENTOR. A

A TTORNE YS.

Patented May 21, 1929 UNITED STATES JOHN A. 081, OF'LOS' ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE F03 FORMING BRAIDL'IKE nncommions.

a lication filed November 15,1927, Serial No. 233,454.

My inventionrelates to devices adapted to beused for decorative purposes, and it has specialreferenceto a device by means of which even an unskilled person may be able to producedecorations of a pleasing appearance out of a plastic substance whereever desired upon a suitable surface.

The main object of the invention is to provide a device of this character with receiving means for a plastic substance, such as sugar paste, plaster, papier mach, or the like, and to provide. means wherebya twirl 'ing motion may be imparted to the sub. stance, as it is forced out of the recelvingy means, so that the substance, when ejected,

may be of a braid-like form, and that the device may be adapted for producing such decorations asoften are required in various arts. Thus, although the device preferably is applied inthe bakers and confectioners art for producing braid-resembling decorations of sugar paste on cakes, or the like, it also, according to the nature of the plastic substance in the receiving means of the device,may be applied for decorative purposes on. furniture, on walls and ceilings and on other things or articles, too numerousto be 'inentioncd in detail, such applicationsof the device easily suggesting themselves from the constructionand the operation of the device. 1 Y Another object of the inventionis to pro vide a device of this character with interchangeable nozzles through which the plastic substance is ejected from the receptacle therefor, so that even an unskilled person may-be able to produce a number of different designs of braid-like decorations in the substance when it is ejected from the device.

- A further object of theinvention is to provide a deviceof this'character with a rotatable outlet member in the receptacle for the plastic substance, and to provide the rotatable member with means, which, without interfering with the ejection of the substance from the receptacle, is adapted to be engaged by a manually operable element in orderto cause rotation of the member, and to construct the device so that the operating element is readily insertable into or withdrawable from the receptacle. 7 I I With the above mentioned, objects and with other objects'inview, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and set derstood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of theclaims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit, or without sacrificing any of the advantages, of the invention.

In the drawings, 7 Figure l is a longitudinal, mid-sectional view of the device and shows the operating element as being inserted into the receptacle for the plastic substance andv as engaging the rotatable member in the receptacle; Figure 2 is an enlarged view, showing in elevation the inner end portion of the operating element in engagement withthe transverse pin in the rotatable member, the pin being shown in section; Y

Figure3 is an enlarged end view of the form of nozzle attached to the receptacle shown in Figure 1, the nozzle in this instance being provided with two cylindrically shaped openings for the ejection there: through ofthe plastic substance;

1 Figure 4 is an enlarged elevation of a portionof the plastic substance ejected from a rotating nozzle of the type shown in-Figures 1and3;"

Figure5 is aperspective View of a nozzle having three cylindrical openings for; the ejection therethrough of the plastic substance;

a rotating nozzle of the type shown in Figure 5; V

Figure 7 is an end view of the nozzle having. four cylindrical openings forthe ejection therethro-ugh of the plasticsubstance;

forth in the appended claims, it beingun- Figure 8 is an enlarged elevation of a 7 portion of the plastic substance ejected from a rotating nozzle of the type shown in Figure7 i 1 j,

F gure 9 1s an end VlGW, of a nozzle having a cross-sectionally square opening for the ejection therethrough of the plastic sub- Stance; o

i "we Figure 10 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the plastic substance ejected from a rotating nozzle of the type shown in F 1gure 9; V

Figure 11 is an end view of a nozzle having a cross-sectionally rectangular opening for the ejection therethrough of the plastic substance; r j V .Figure 12 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the plastic substance ejected from a rotating nozzle of the type shown in Flgure 11; and

Figure 13 is an end view of a nozzle having two cross-sectionally star-shaped openings for the ejection therethrough of the plastic substancef My invention comprises a device which, in a general way, is indicated in Figure 1 by the numeral 1. This device is provided with a receptacle 2 which may be constructed of any suitable material and in any approved manner so as to be compressible or otherwise to have compression means in connection therewith, the receptacle is made of a suitable flexible material,such as rubber, specially treated cloth, or the like, so that the receptacle is adapted to hold therein a plastic substance, such as sugar paste, plaster, papier mach, or, in fact, any plastic substance adapted to be twisted or otherwise shaped, while in its plastic state, so that braid-like decorations may be formed "thereof. Although the re ceptacle 2 may be formed in any suitable manner, I prefer to make it somewhat pearshaped; that is, to make it narrowat one end, as shown at 3, and widened adjacent to its other end 4, as shown at 5, so that the receptacle may be conveniently grasped and compressed by a persons hand and that thus, when the receptacle has a plastic substance therein, the substance may be easily ejected from the receptacle. At its narrow end 3 the receptacle'is open and adaptedto be slipped over the inner end of a ferrule 6 so to form a tight joint with the ferrule, and at its opposite end 4 the receptacle is preferably of a tube-like form and considerably smaller in diameter than at the end 3, so as to be adapted to receive and to hold therein one end of a bearing 111611'1l061 in" the form of a sleeve 7' and to be tightly joined to the sleeve, which preferably is of such a length that the sleeve is normally adapted to extend partly into the ferrule.

A shaft or element 8 is rotatably mounted Preferably, however,

In its outer end the ferrule 6 has a central opening 12, so that an annular flange 18 is thereby formed at the end of the ferrule. A bushing lt, provided with a central, lon-, gitudinal opening 15 therein and comprising an externally threaded stem 16, at one end of which is formed an annular flange 17, is adapted to be rotatably mounted with the stem in the opening 12 and with the flange 17 to contact the inner side of the flange 13, and a'nut 18 is screwed upon the stem outside of the flange 13 sufficiently close thereto for preventing an excessive endwise movement of the bushing while at the same time allowing the bushing to rotate freely in the ferrule 6. In the bushing is a pin 19, which extends transversely through the bushin and the 03611111 15 therein and 23 is adapted to fit in the'slot 10 at the end of the shaft 8, so that, by the rotation of the shaft, a rotative movement may simultaneously be imparted to the bushing.

A tapered nozzle, which in Figures 1 and dis indicated by the numeral 20, is at its wide end internally threaded and is thereby adapted to be screwed tightly against the nut 18 upon the stem 16 for locking the nut in its adjusted position so that the nozzle 20 and the bushing 14 may be considered as one member which is rotatably attached to the receptacle 2. The nozzle is'in these figures shown'as provided with outlet means in the form of two cylindrical openings 21 adjacent to each other. Preferably, the nut has a knurled outer surface, and the nozzle has a similarly knurled outersurface at its wide end, indicated in Figure 5 at 22 on a nozzle 23, in order to facilitate the adjustment of the nut and the nozzle upon the stem 18 and to dispense with the use of wrenches or other tools for accomplishing the adjustment.

The nozzle 23 is shown as provided with three cylindrical outlet openings 2% adjacent to one another, while in Figure 7 is showna nozzle 25, provided with four cylindrical outlet openings 26, and in Figure 13 is shown a nozzle 27, in which two crosssectionally star-shaped outlet openings 28 are formed adjacent to each other. If so desired, a nozzle may be provided with only one outlet opening of a special shape. For instance, in Figure 9 is shown a nozzle 29 provided with an outlet'opening 30, which is square in cross-section, and in Figure 11 is shown another nozzle 81, provided with an outlet opening 32, which is rectangular in cross-section. All thenozzles 20, 23, 25, 27, 29 and 31, of course, are merely illustrative and readily suggest a. multitude of other nozzles, with. outlet openings of different shapes and arrangements.

vWhen the receptacle has therein a plastic substance, which may be sugar pasta such as used by bakers or confectioners, or any Cir other substance in a plastic state so that'the substance easily may be given'various shapes, and when the shaft 8' engages the pin'19, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the operator takes hold of the receptacle 2 and compresses it with one hand, while with the other hand he turns the crank 9. l/Vhile in this manner the plastic substance is forced through the opening 15 in the bushing 14 and thence is forced into the nozzle so as to be ejected through the' outlet opening, or openings therein, it is at the-same time twisted, so that a braid-like shape of a pleasing appearance is given thereto. It being assumed that the nozzle .20 is, screwed'upon the bushing 1 14, as before described, the plasticsubstance ejected from the outlet openings 21 of the nozzle will have the appearance of a two-ply cord, as shown at 33 in Figure 4-. l/Vhen the nozzle 23 is used in connection with the receptacle 2, the plastic substance ejected from] the nozzle will have the appearance of a three-ply cord 34, as shown in Figure 6,.and when the nozzle 25 is used the ejected plastic substance will appear like a four-ply cord 35, as shownin Figure 8. The plastic substance ejectedfrom the nozzle 29, on account of the rotary motion of the nozzle, will have the appearance of a twisted square rod 36, as

shown in Figure 10, and the plastic substance ejected from the rotating nozzle 31 will appear like a twisted flat band 37,,as shown in Figure 12.

l Vhen the nozzle 27 is attached to the,

receptacle 2 and is caused to rotate, and when the plastic'substance in'the receptacle is caused to issue from the outlet openings 28 in the nozzle, it will appear somewhat like the formation 33, with the difference that the imitations of plies are star-shaped instead of circular in cross-section, as'shown in Figure 4. However, sincein'iitations of cross-sectionally star-shaped plies easily may be understood from the appearance of the formation 33, an exact illustration thereof is deemed superfluous and is, therefore,'

omitted. I

In order to place the plasticsubstance in the receptacle 2, the nozzle is removed from the bushing 14,iand the substance .is injected into the receptacle through the opening 15" ,p p i I v a From the foregoing, it is clear that, by

using in. connection with the device 1 nozzles which have therein outlet openings of different shapes and arrangement s,'it is possible to form a plastic substance into a great decorations, which are applicable in many arts for the purpose of producin pleasing effects. For example, with reference to sugar paste, it is understood that many highly artistic ornaments, not possible to produce without causing atwisting motion of thesubstance, may easily be applied to cakes, confectionery or the like, even by an unskilled person that is using the devicel. I claim as my invention:

1. A device of the character described,

variety of different designs of braid-like comprising areceptacle adapted to receive a plastic substance therein and provided at one end with an outlet opening and at its other Lend with another opening, the receptacle the receptacle is adaptedto be compressed being made of a flexible material so that and that thereby the substance may" be forced through the outlet opening; a member adapted to berotatably attached to the receptacle at the outlet opening and provided with an opening connected with outletmeans throughWhich the substance forced from the receptacle may be ejectedfrom the memably' fitted in the other opening in the recep Jber; a bearing member adapted to be removtacle so as to form a tight joint with the receptacle and to extend therein; and an element rotatably mounted in the bearing member and, extending beyond the bearing member so as to be adapted to engage the rotatable member, the element and the r0 tatable member being provided with means for engagingeach otherso that, when the element is rotated, a simultaneous rotative movement is imparted to the rotatable'member, andthat thus the substance ejected through the outlet means in the rotatable member may be of a braid-like form, as, and

for the purpose, set-forth.

2. A device ofthe character described,

comprising a receptacle adapted to receive a plastic substance therein and provided 'at one end with an outlet opening and at its] other end withanother opening, the receptacle being -made of a flexible material so that the receptacle is adapted to be com-- pressed and thatthereby-.thesubstance may be forced through the outlet opening; a 1 member adapted to be rotatably attached to the receptacle at. the outlet opening and ,pro-' vided with an opening connected with outlet means through which thesubstanoe forced from the receptacle may be ejected from the member; a pin'secured in the member and extending across the opening therein; a sleeve adapted to be removably fitted in the other openings in thefreceptacle so as to forma tight joint with the receptacle and"? to extend therein; and a shaft rotatably mounted in the sleeve and provided at its end outside of the receptacle with means by which the shaft may be caused to rotate, and at its other end with means for engaging the pin in the rotatable member so that, when the shaft 'is rotated, a simultaneous rotative movement is imparted to the rotatable member, and that thus the substance ejected through the outlet means in the 1'0- 10 tatable member maybe of a braid-like form as, and for the purpose, set forth.

JOHN A. 0ST. 

